San Diego Police Officer Jacob Phipps is under intensifying public scrutiny following two viral incidents in downtown San Diego this past week, raising broader questions about his conduct and the department’s oversight. The scrutiny converges with a federal lawsuit in which he is named as the first defendant in the in-custody death of a man outside Star Bar in the Gaslamp earlier this year.
The first incident centers on DJ Chad Allen, a San Diego-based entertainer who took to social media to accuse Officer Phipps of repeated harassment. In a post that has garnered over 150,000 views, Allen described being pulled over multiple times for what he claims are unfounded vehicle modification citations. According to Allen, the tickets were later dismissed by other SDPD officers, who even mocked the citations as unnecessary. Despite this, he says Officer Phipps has openly told him that he will continue to stop his vehicle and issue citations every time he sees it, suggesting a pattern of targeting.
Allen emphasized that he’s not seeking to evade the law but wants fair treatment. "It’s not about the money - it’s the principle," he wrote, noting that each dismissed ticket still cost him a $25 processing fee.
The first incident centers on DJ Chad Allen, a San Diego-based entertainer who took to social media to accuse Officer Phipps of repeated harassment. In a post that has garnered over 150,000 views, Allen described being pulled over multiple times for what he claims are unfounded vehicle modification citations. According to Allen, the tickets were later dismissed by other SDPD officers, who even mocked the citations as unnecessary. Despite this, he says Officer Phipps has openly told him that he will continue to stop his vehicle and issue citations every time he sees it, suggesting a pattern of targeting.
Allen emphasized that he’s not seeking to evade the law but wants fair treatment. "It’s not about the money - it’s the principle," he wrote, noting that each dismissed ticket still cost him a $25 processing fee.
Just days later, another confrontation involving Phipps and at least six other SDPD officers took place in the Gaslamp Quarter on Saturday, July 12. The incident centered on members of San Diego-based streetwear brand Sex Appeal Clothing Company, who say they were aggressively followed, blocked from parking, and ultimately harassed while operating their mobile retail business in the Gaslamp Quarter. Videos posted online show officers deploying pepper spray into a crowd of bystanders, some of whom were calling for de-escalation and begging the officers to stop.
According to company representatives, Officer Phipps acted as the ringleader of the harassment, tailing the group for over two hours and repeatedly interfering with their efforts to legally park their vehicle. It is claimed that Phipps performed maneuvers to block available parking spots and refused to answer when confronted. When the team finally found a place to park, Phipps allegedly approached local security guards and club staff, describing the group as "animals" and claiming they "always start fights."
The group, allegedly composed largely of military members - half veterans, half active-duty personnel, including several currently ranked E5 - staunchly denies any wrongdoing. "We’ve never started one fight, and we're not even from San Diego," one representative told SanDiegoVille. They further stated:
"We are no scams or frauds - we’re just trying to figure a way to be in the public eye and sell our clothes with no shop. But it’s all legit business. We stand by the car, all wearing a piece of clothing from the brand, and just talk to everyone - ‘Hey, how are you doing? Come check out our clothing brand, follow us on Instagram,’ etc. We’ve been trying to earn enough for a small storefront. And during this whole process, it’s hard with cops on us."
Witnesses say that after hours of being watched by a growing number of officers, SDPD personnel descended on the group, pepper-sprayed staff, ransacked merchandise, tackled one team member and slammed his face into the curb while punching him, and detained another for merely walking nearby. No charges were ultimately filed, according to a Sex Appeal Clothing representative, and all team members were released within hours.
These disturbing allegations come as Officer Phipps is also named as the first defendant in a federal wrongful death lawsuit filed May 28, 2025, stemming from the January 25 death of Gabriel Jesus Garza outside Star Bar, also in the Gaslamp Quarter.
According to the complaint, Garza - who was reportedly experiencing a mental health crisis - was removed from the bar by security after allegedly biting a guard. When Phipps and Officer Noah McLemore arrived on the scene, security had already restrained Garza on his back. The lawsuit claims that Phipps flipped him onto his stomach and, with McLemore, applied handcuffs and leg restraints. The suit alleges that officers failed to assess whether Garza could breathe or had a pulse, and that a 911 dispatcher refused to send paramedics until officers deemed it necessary. Garza soon became unresponsive and was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
The Medical Examiner classified Garza's death as a homicide caused by physical restraint. The lawsuit faults SDPD for failing to revise its use-of-force policies in light of well-known risks associated with prone restraints. While the department banned the carotid hold, the complaint alleges it did not address the broader dangers of face-down restraint post-George Floyd.
Defendants named in the lawsuit include Phipps, McLemore, the City of San Diego, former Police Chief David Nisleit, Police Chief Scott Wahl, and a number of unnamed officers, supervisors, training officers, and dispatchers. The suit alleges civil rights violations under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 and seeks damages for denial of due process and excessive force.
The San Diego County Sheriff’s Department is leading the criminal investigation into Garza’s death, while SDPD is conducting a parallel internal administrative review. Both officers remain on active duty.
According to public salary records obtained via Transparent California, Officer Jacob Phipps has seen a steady increase in earnings over the past three years. In 2022, Phipps earned a total of $114,745.62, which included nearly $18,100 in overtime and over $18,700 in other forms of pay. His 2023 compensation rose to $137,263.00, with more than $20,400 in overtime. Most recently, in 2024, Phipps earned $164,811.64, including over $45,000 in overtime pay and nearly $12,000 in additional compensation. These figures are expected to raise further questions as scrutiny grows over his actions and departmental oversight.
The convergence of three high-profile incidents - a homicide ruling, a federal lawsuit, and two recent viral videos - has intensified public concerns over Phipps' conduct and broader accountability within SDPD. SanDiegoVille reached out to SDPD and San Diego County Sheriff’s Department for comment and for information regarding complaints filed against Officer Phipps. As of publication, the department has not responded. A formal Public Records Act request has been filed with the City of San Diego requesting records related to Officer Phipps.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information comes to light.
Originally published on July 16, 2025.